New study shows child fitness levels ‘worryingly low’

In activities such as jumping, running and throwing, 67 per cent were unable to reach targets and nearly one in four children fell ‘significantly below levels’.

Four in ten children aged five to seven struggled to do 60 star jumps in one minute.

The study was carried out by children’s activity expert Fit For Sport on 10,000 children aged five to 11.

The children completed the Activity Challenge, a series of tests assessing factors of fitness such as stamina, agility, coordination and cardiovascular endurance.

Three activities were carried out by the children: bouncing a ball and catching it, star jumps and shuttle runs.

Of the five-to-seven-year-olds, only one in three could throw and catch more than sixty times in under a minute, which is the recommended level of fitness.

Only 22 per cent of the same group age was able to run over 15 shuttle runs of six meters in one minute.

Dean Horridge, CEO and founder of Fit For Sport, said, ‘Parents know how well their children perform academically, but they often have no idea how fit their kids are.’

‘This is a clear call to action: physical inactivity is a ticking time bomb for the UK’s health and both parents and schools must make sure children are spending enough time being active to improve their fitness and health levels now, and set them off on a journey to an active life.’

Although chief medical officer guidelines recommend that children spend at least an hour a day being physically active, including intense activities increasing heart rate, only 21% of boys and 16% of girls were found to achieve this.

Research by Ofsted in 2013 found that one in three children in the UK is overweight.

• Early years practitioners and parents can register children to take part in the Activity Challenge at www.activitychallenge.co.uk